Xiaomi Mi Soundbar Review: Cinematic sound experience at budget price

Xiaomi Mi Soundbar is aggressively priced at Rs. 4,999 in India. It will be available via Mi.com and Mi Home stores.

Xiaomi is the only Chinese technology company that has managed to make it real big in a market like India in such a short time period. The company's budget and mid-range smartphones need no introduction and easily make it to our top recommended list to the audience. The same can be said for the Mi TVs, which has enjoyed the same level of success in the Indian market. Xiaomi has just added two new affordable smart TVs to company's Mi TV portfolio. The company on Thursday- Jan 10, 2018, unveiled Mi LED TV 4X PRO (55) and Mi LED TV 4A PRO (43) in India at Rs. 39,999 and Rs. 22,999 respectively.

Rating:

4.0/5

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Mi Soundbar Specifications

The 33-inch Soundbar has dimensions of 32.6 in x 2.83 in x 3.42 in. The net weight of unit is 1.92 kgs which makes it quite lightweight. The Soundbar has a frequency range of 50 Hz to 25,000 Hz. The linear structure of Soundbar houses two 20m dome speakers to cover high frequencies. Two woofers of size 2.5-inch each are placed to reproduce a natural sound and the company has also added four passive radiators to generate bass into the audio.

Mi Soundbar Connectivity

As far as connectivity is concerned, the Mi Soundbar includes Bluetooth 4.2 (supports A2DP music playback), which allows you to connect the audio device to any Bluetooth compatible device including smart TVs. Besides, the company has provided S/PDIF, Optical, Aux-In and Line-in connectivity ports. If you happen to have the latest Mi TV at your place, you can connect it with Mi Soundbar via Bluetooth, S/PDIF, Aux-In port, Line-In, and Optical port. Sadly, there's no USB port, no HDMI input and the Soundbar also doesn't ship with a dedicated remote control, which is the biggest letdown. This restricts a lot of things. You have to physically control the volume and also the source of the audio. The volume levels can be controlled only if the soundbar is connected via Bluetooth, which mildly affects the audio part.

Mi Soundbar Design

Mi Soundbar is built on the company's signature ‘Mi Look' design language which is quite minimal and functional. Like the previous products based on this look, the Mi Soundbar has also been given White and Grey color combination which is easy-on-eyes and also blends easily with the surroundings. While the grey fabric mesh combined with white plastic makes it a stylish long sound accessory, I would have loved to see some more color and texture combinations for the audio accessory.

Keep it on Table or mount it on a wall

I kept the Mi Soundbar on the table but you can also make to sit flush to the wall with the help of two screws and two expansion anchors provided in the package. When mounted on a wall with a suitable background, it will not come across as an affordable Soundbar. Instead, Mi Soundbar looks very premium and does not come across as a budget Soundbar.

Mi Soundbar Audio Performance

The Mi Soundbar is designed to deliver a cinematic audio experience at budget price-point and it does that very well. The sound produced by the 33-inch speaker is full of deep rumbling bass with decent mids and highs. If you spend most of your time streaming action and Sci-Fi flicks, you will love the Mi Soundbar. The cinematic sound effects are handled pretty well and create a room-filling environment. It is the vocals that do not come across as sharp as they would.

That said, Mi Soundbar is not the perfect audio speaker to enjoy vocals and other forms of music where you want to catch every beat in its original form. But if you stream bass-heavy tunes, movies and lots of movies, you will love the bass emphasized audio signature and stereo soundstage that your TV cannot create. It's a budget soundbar that can actually give you some theatre feels right in our living room.

Verdict

At a budget price-point of Rs. 4,999, Mi Soundbar is a steal for movie buffs. It's affordable, stylish and can create a theatre like cinematic experience in the room. You can place it on a table, under a TV or can mount it on a wall and can stream music wirelessly via smartphones, smart TVs and tablets. It's a budget Soundbar for every household in India.

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